Developing an e-campaign

Email has not died yet. It is still an effective form of communication, even in the age of Facebook and instant messaging. What many businesses don't realize, however, is that email is a marketing tool that can be used to generate business. And I'm not talking about spam, which is rightly vilified, and will eventually be wiped out or at least severely limited.

What I am talking about is using email to target your customers in an intelligent, research-led way. Many businesses still think that email is just a quicker version of snail mail. They are missing out on a highly effective addition to their e marketing arsenal.

Before you can use email as a proper, effective marketing tool, as part of an e-campaign rather than just a shotgun approach, you need to consider a basic concept in marketing...

The cream of the crop

First of all, don't even bother to use email as a marketing tool until you have identified the top 20 percent of your customer base. These are your best customers. The old 80/20 principle, whereby twenty percent of your customers provide you with eighty percent of your profits, means that you should identify your top 20%, and focus your email campaign on them alone. So identify these people.

And then:

• Consider how they became your customers. Was it via referrals, through a trade show, or through networking?
• Decide just what it is that makes those customers profitable. Why are they your top 20% and what lessons can you learn to help you attract more like them?
• What do you need to tell those customers, or what do they need to know to buy your services? What information do they require?
• What is the best way to reach those customers?

When you know who your top 20% are, make a solemn promise to yourself and your business that you are going to treat them like VIPs, and that your e-campaign will recognize them as the bedrock for future growth.

Future articles will focus on what action you must take to cultivate your 20% list effectively, and develop an e-campaign that will drive sales and build your firm's reputation.

Spread the Word... get a $100 Gift Card!

At CWS, we're grateful that people say wonderful things about us. In fact, almost all of our business comes from either referrals or existing customers. To show our appreciation, we want to give back to our friends and customers with a new referral program. When you refer someone to us and they complete their first order or project, you'll receive a gift card. It's that easy!

Simply tell us about your "web ready" friends using this new referral form. We'll send them our latest information and follow up to see how we can help.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "just what do I get for a referral? A big juicy steak? Guitar Hero III?" The answer is simple -- YES! You choose the merchant and we'll personally get you a gift card to your favorite place. Based on the product or service that your referral uses, you'll receive the following:

- RapidNewsletter ($25 gift card)
- GroupLoop ($25 gift card)
- Hosting ($25 gift card)
- Search Engine Marketing/Optimization ($50 gift card)
- Web Design or Programming ($100 gift card)

To get our new program started with a bang, we're going to DOUBLE the value of all gift cards for the first 5 referrals we receive. That's right, this means you can receive up to $200 in gift cards... if you hurry.

In order to qualify, your referral:

1. Must be received before the person contacts us.
2. Must be new to the CWS mailing list.
3. Must be a first-time CWS customer.
4. Must be submitted via our online referral form.

Thanks again for your support and we hope you enjoy this new program.